Every year, the men’s and women’s Ancient Order of Hibernians (A.O.H. and L.A.O.H.), Division 51, gather to celebrate and award their most influential members and supporters. Throughout the year, this organization does a lot of work throughout the community, keeping traditional Irish Catholic values alive. When they gather annually to give awards to those who helped out in crucial ways, there is plenty to talk about and celebrate.

With Irish music (provided this year by the 2nd Street Irish Society Pipe and Drums) and hot breakfast to greet them, members and supporters are received in the Holy Name Church Hall. After breakfast, the presentation of awards is a ceremony that’s more fun than formal, capturing the spirit of this community organization. This year marked the 10th anniversary of their annual event. Though in prior years the A.O.H. Communion Breakfast hadn’t filled up the large Holy Name Church Hall, this year’s gathering saw almost every seat packed.

SugarHouse Casino was named Local Business of the Year, because not only do they give lots of support to the community every year, but they provide steady employment with benefits to many people in the neighborhood. Annie Francisco received the Woman of the Year award, and Dave Rotan got the Man of the Year. The Community Service Award went to the group of A.O.H. men who saved a local playground from being turned into a dog park.

Guest speaker Ed Costello’s credentials included Marine, Vietnam Veteran, Board of St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and being instrumental with the creation of the Irish Memorial. He regaled listeners with stories of his Irish youth, his father, and even a visit to Ireland, topics which resonated with the entire A.O.H. crowd. “We are Irish, and we are Catholic. We identify by our parish, and by the county our ancestors came from in Ireland,” he said, stressing the importance of imparting their pride and values to their children and grandchildren.

Councilmen Bobby Henon, Jim Kenney, and Mark Squilla were all in attendance. As Squilla said in his speech, “A.O.H. and other community organizations are what drive Philadelphia and make the city what it is—the family and the community like you saw here today. We need more of that in Philadelphia.”

A.O.H. President Bill Francisco said, “This is probably the best communion breakfast we’ve had, both the turnout and the event in general.” The new President of Ladies A.O.H., Renee McIntyre Shaw, said, “It’s my first year, and my goals are to make the organization stronger, and to go back to our Christian charity. I think we should do well.”

With such a strong base of support and leadership that’s already looking toward the future, the A.O.H. looks like it will be doing even more for the community in the years to come and have even more to celebrate at the next annual Communion Breakfast.